An I400 at 15A of STABLE plasma might get you all of 10 milliwatts of 488 with the existing optics. The OC has too high a transmission to run at low powers. Even if you changed that, you might see lasing but no productive power generation. Maybe 25 milliwatts. It would be a heck of a lot of work for nothing. As well as a nightmare to align with no gain.
Tube pressure is very high for pulsed mode be say 300 milliTorr for the CW regime vs tens of microns for true pulsed mode ion. You'd need a long pulse of 10-20 milliseconds duration to approximate CW operation and even establish a stable plasma. What you also missing is the need of a high current to form the "cathode spot" which allows for emission of stable plasma. The PSU really does not limit the current for a few milliseconds after starting.
BTW, Repeated starting pulses without stable plasma do cathode damage very quickly. Its just not the right kind of cathode.
There is no hope of pulling the plasma pressure down to enhance "pulse" mode on a Innova bore. The stacked disks do not support low pressure. I and One other guy have cracked tubes trying, in order to run Xenon mixes. That was only 50 mTorr below standard pressure.
This means you'd need a pulse forming network for your long pulse and to power the magnet. The magnet needs rectified line at say 4-6 Amps by itself.
You probably have a 3.25 volt, 150 to 200 watt AC Cathode.
Sorry, but what you want to try is just not worth the effort.
Short version: Rent a Generator and be happy. Otherwise scrap them or sell/trade them to Laser Innovations etc.
I know we have a line about doing this for air-cooled tubes in the FAQ. That does work, as a big stack of Electrolytics give you a few milliseconds of lasing at 6 amps or so on a 95 to 106 volt tube. But the large tube is a whole different ballgame.
Your tube is a 50 Amp tube. Which means spec power is probably obtained at 40-45 amps when new.
Steve
Last edited by mixedgas; 01-06-2015 at 05:29.
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